Steve Ivy — Since 1999 — XV Ed.

Dark Visions of America

Sullivan on Trump

This is now Trump’s America. He controls everything from here on forward. He has won this campaign in such a decisive fashion that he owes no one anything. He has destroyed the GOP and remade it in his image. He has humiliated the elites and the elite media. He has embarrassed every pollster and naysayer. He has avenged Obama. And in the coming weeks, Trump will not likely be content to bask in vindication.

Don’t expect a power-seeking narcissist to embrace reason after a victory.

They will not let [the levers of power] go easily. They will likely build a propaganda machine more powerful than Fox and Breitbart — and generate pseudo-stories and big lies that, absent any authoritative or trusted media, will dominate the new centers of information, Facebook or its successors.

Don’t forget that Stephen Bannon, head of the “Alt-Right” (far-right racists, misogynists) publisher Breitbart, was Trump’s most recent campaign “CEO”.

Andrew points out, rightly, that Trump’s promises to the far- and alt-right cannot all realistically be kept. But rather than face backlash, he and his supporters will be ready with a host of “others” and “outside forces” to blame:

The only sliver of hope is that his promises cannot be kept… But hope fades in turn when you realize how absolute and total his support clearly is. His support is not like that of a democratic leader but of a cult leader fused with the idea of the nation. If he fails, as he will, he will blame others, as he always does.

so there will have to be scapegoats — media institutions, the Fed, the “global conspiracy” of bankers and Davos muckety-mucks he previewed in his rankly anti-Semitic closing ad, rival politicians whom he will demolish by new names of abuse, foreign countries and leaders who do not cooperate, and doubtless civilians who will be targeted by his ranks of followers and demonized from the bully pulpit itself.

As with all these links, take the time to read Andrew’s piece – it’s dark, but paints a not-unrealistic picture of what may come.

Winer on Sullivan

Dave goes on to share some notes responding to Andrew’s piece. In particular, he outlines a few ways that Trump can actually build on, and take credit for, Obama’s successes in healthcare and immigration – all while convincing his supporters that he’s fulfilling promises to tear down and dismantle. This is a man adept at taking credit for others’ work.

He can repeal ObamaCare by getting rid of the worst parts (so he will say) and replace it with TrumpCare which contains just the good parts. He’ll present it as something all new. What he’ll care about is putting his name on it…

People don’t know that Obama is deporting illegals. Trump won’t tell them. He’ll just provide the numbers that he’s deporting and say they’re the worst ones, real rapists and murderers, and call it progress, and that “issue” will fade away too.

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